InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Stealer ❯ Four - Facing The Music ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

�Ladies first,� Inuyasha smiled� Kagome smiled back� looked down into the square abyss� and jumped.

It's time to face the music. Will Inuyasha and Kagome tell Sango and Miroku that they are together? It's fairly obvious they are hiding something... and the secret is bound to come out sooner or later.

A lot of time has passed, but Miroku and Sango can tell something is going on. And they're determined to find out what.

Note: This chapter is very suggestive in the waterfall scene.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.02.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.9K | Visits: 307 | Status: Completed

Soul Stealer
Chapter Four - Facing The Music

“Ladies first,” Inuyasha smiled… Kagome smiled back… looked down into the square abyss… and jumped.

Five months later…

“No food. No water. No clothes. No hotel. And no shards.” Kagome stated, ticking each thing off on her fingers as she went, voice rising higher and higher. “Guys, shouldn't we just give up?” she looked around at her companions.

Sango looked ready to collapse; yet Miroku was adamant. `There has to be an inn round here, somewhere!' was his attitude. Shippo was clinging onto his shoulder, practically asleep and Kirara was mewing in sympathy, her twin tails drooping. In fact, they were all drooping - they were soaked!

That was what you got after wading through a lake to get to the other side. Kagome's legs were dripping wet (Inuyasha had carried her through), and it was an unpleasant feeling to have the wind tear at your legs from time to time. She felt sorry for the others (except Shippo, who'd stood on Kagome's head and hadn't got wet at all).

Of course… they'd been really tired at the time and hadn't thought their plan through. So, when they'd gotten to the other side, Miroku realised that they could've just rode Kirara across instead. That resolved in him getting a thump from Inuyasha. So much for a lucky streak… the whole of Kagome's luck had disappeared the day she'd jumped down the well after so willingly spending the night with Inuyasha. She guessed that she must have used it all up by then, anyway.

Kagome looked at the half-demon leaning against a tree, sitting amiably and staring straight ahead. They hadn't had a chance to really talk for months now and things were starting to become just as they were before. But it couldn't be helped. Inuyasha caught Kagome staring. Their eyes locked. It seemed hours until Miroku started talking and severed the moment completely.

He'd caught them staring at each other and was turning something over in his mind. “You know, you two have been acting odd for a while now.” He noted. “Ever since that night that you slept over Kagome's place, Inuyasha.”

“And what's that supposed to mean, monk?” Inuyasha scowled, eyes narrowed. Gone was the warm look in his eyes that he reserved for only Kagome. Now his amber's eyes were dark orange - bordering red.

Miroku held up his hands in surrender. “I was only implying that…”

“Well don't,” Inuyasha snorted, turning away. Shippo yawned at that precise moment, and then everyone took in the situation. They needed to rest.

Kagome had gone back to her time about seven times since the incident with Inuyasha - almost twice a month. Things had started getting bad here. At one point, Kaede's village had been raided by demons and they'd had to go and help out. Sometimes it was near impossible for her to go home. At one point they had been so far away from the well that it had taken a whole week to walk back.

Sango dropped down onto the floor, her boomerang collapsing behind her, thudding loudly on the ground. Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sudden sound and he screwed up his face. Kagome sighed and sat down too, looking up at the night sky.

What didn't help was that Kagome's legs were cold and numb from the water and her stomach hurt. No… not just hurt. It was more than that. It was as if someone had stabbed her in the gut a hundred times - the pain was unbearable. At times she thought she was going to be sick but then other times she thought she was just going to scream so loud that…

“Kagome?”

Kagome's head jerked up. The others were looking at her, concerned. She hadn't realised that she was clutching on to her stomach. But… it wasn't just her stomach that hurt. The entire bottom half of her body felt so heavy and so… paralysed. Kagome realised at that instant that she couldn't move.

Inuyasha stood up and started to walk over. “Are you okay?” he asked, his tone laced with worry. Miroku shot him a glance and then gave Sango a look that said `see what I mean?'. Sango, behind Inuyasha, nodded.

Kagome cringed as her body instinctively fell back, so she was completely spread-eagled on the floor. “Yeah, I'm fine.” She reassured, yet she winced half way through the sentence and it lost the effect. Inuyasha sat down beside her and studied her quietly.

“You said that you wanted to scream… what was that about?” Inuyasha said quietly, eyes flicking back and forth, looking from her face to her stomach and then back again.

“I did?” Kagome replied. Suddenly another wave of pain shot up from her lower body. Her face went red and everything started to become out of focus. Black dots swam in her vision.

Kagome slammed her eyes shut. Damn it! The pains had started a week ago, and now they wouldn't go away. She hated feeling like this. The pain was even worse when she was on her period a couple of days ago - which she didn't tell anyone about, not even Sango. Sometimes, she had to keep it to herself.

This was the first time she'd expressed her pain so openly, and she could see the worried and anxious faces of her friends. Shippo - now asleep - was placed on the floor by Kirara, and Miroku and Sango came over to study the `patient'.

Kagome opened her mouth and let out a screech. Inuyasha covered his ears. “It hurts!” she cried, clutching her stomach even tighter.

Sango started getting frustrated. She went over to Kagome's humungous pack and started sifting through it. “Kagome, do you have any medicine to treat this?” she asked.

Kagome shook her head. “No. I only have bandages. We used up the last of the ibuprofens when Miroku got a hangover.” Two pairs of narrowed eyes - belonging to Sango and Inuyasha - glared disapprovingly at the monk.

Miroku put a hand behind his head for support and started laughing innocently. Inuyasha turned back to Kagome.
“Here,” he said, raising her head and putting it on his lap. “Is this better?”
Kagome, feeling his familiarity, looked up and did feel better. “Mm,” she nodded, smiling. Miroku raised an eyebrow yet said nothing. Sango stopped rummaging and turned back to her friends, thinking.

Kagome felt herself drift in and out of consciousness. After a while, it was Inuyasha who said: “I think we should get some sleep.”

Miroku and Sango nodded, dropping to the ground appreciatively. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, who was already asleep. Smiling slightly, he tugged her back so he could rest against a tree and still have her on his lap. Before he fell asleep, he remembered thinking: I wonder what's wrong with her. But he didn't list the possibilities. He was far too tired to bother.

Things felt so much better in the morning. Kagome, for example, didn't feel any pain at all. Sometimes it came and went throughout the day - yet it was always there. Waiting. But she didn't fret about that. When she'd woken up, her face had been buried in Inuyasha's thigh. That was what mattered.

But this time she hadn't been the first one awake. Inuyasha looked down at her, grinning. “Morning,” he said casually. Kagome smiled once she'd realised the pain had gone, and looked up brightly. “Morning,” and then they did something they hadn't done in a long time. They kissed.

And this time, they felt the same as they had before. The same fireworks and electricity short-circuiting feeling. As if their bodies were reawakened and they were aware of everyone and everything - but most especially each other. It felt so good to be back together again…

They broke apart and smiled happily. “Do you feel better?” Inuyasha asked, stroking Kagome's stomach. Kagome nodded, grinning. “Yep. And, I don't know about you, but…” she jumped up, startling Inuyasha that someone so ill could be so energetic. They'd all noticed how pale she was getting… how sickly…

Kagome was continuing. “I want a shower. Or a bath. Whatever suits. Wasn't there a waterfall a couple of minutes to the south?” she asked. Inuyasha nodded, standing up. “Yeah. Looks like we're having a shower.”

Kagome nodded. “Mm,” She held out a hand and Inuyasha took it. Then they looked at Miroku and Sango. The two were fast asleep. Miroku had somehow, in the night, crept over to Sango and had wrapped an arm around her. She would not be pleased when she woke.

Inuyasha and Kagome were just about to leave the clearing when their little fox-demon companion stretched and woke up. Inuyasha and Kagome froze as soon as Shippo opened his eyes.

“Oh. You're up!” he cried, jumping on his feet. “Where are you going?” he asked.

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged glances until finally Kagome turned back to the boy and smiled. “We're going for a shower. Do you want to come?”

Inuyasha stared, wide-eyed, at Kagome as if she'd lost her mind, but Kagome paid no attention. It would look far too suspicious if they left him… Shippo nodded fervently. “Yeah!”

Kagome, standing conveniently by her pack, got out some shampoo - abandoning the bucket that she reserved for hot springs. She waved Shippo over, and he jumped on her shoulder happily.

“Only, don't tell Sango and Miroku,” Kagome said. “Cause they won't like it that we took you and not them.”
“Yeah,” Inuyasha interjected. “If they can't get up in time to get clean, then they just have to go without. Otherwise we lose time, right?”
“O…kay,” Shippo replied. He didn't want to see Miroku and Sango disappointed.

The waterfall was beautiful, surrounded in a circle by plush grass and flowers - with ivy and foxgloves creeping around the base of the `fall's rock. It had a small, shallow pool, and wasn't very tall - so the force of the water wasn't too strong. In short, perfect to bathe in.

Shippo was the first in. He was small enough to not bother with the waterfall. Instead he ducked his head again and again in the water to wet his hair, and then he shook it out, ignoring how wet his bow got. He steered away from the daggers of water shooting down from above and splashed about in the pool, like a human child would.

Kagome started taking off her clothes. Shippo ignored her - he didn't care, he was far too young to be interested. But Inuyasha stopped and stared. It had been a long time since he'd seen her naked - and even then it had passed by in a blur, they'd been kissing and he hadn't taken notice. But now he took notice.

“Kagome…” he began.
She ignored him. By now she was completely bare and was stepping into the water. “Come on, Inuyasha, take off your clothes,” she said, sounding like she was teasing him. His eyes grew wider, his pupils smaller.

Shippo frowned. “Yeah, don't you want to get clean? Just `cause you're a dog doesn't mean you have to hate water.”
Inuyasha frowned. “I don't hate water,” he disagreed. “But I just think that…”
“If I were you, I'd go in with Kagome.” Shippo said, slapping the water, no longer looking up. “I mean, seeing as you love her and all…”

Kagome shot Shippo a glance. Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it. Shippo, expecting a refusal from Inuyasha was gobsmacked when he started to take off his clothes.

“Stupid little cretin,” Inuyasha frowned, removing his jacket and shirt. Shippo's mouth hung open as he looked from Kagome to Inuyasha then back again. He's really admitting it…? He wondered.

Inuyasha, in all his naked pride, scoffed, and strode to the waterfall - not looking at anyone. Kagome tried hard to suppress a giggle. Shippo just stared, confused. They're liars… he realised. They didn't want me to tell Sango and Miroku `cause they're having a shower together. Miroku was right. Something really didhappen between them…

Inuyasha and Kagome were stood under the darts of water pelting down on them. The water was actually much deeper at the basin of the waterfall, and rose up to their bellybuttons. Shippo was in the shallow part by the bank, still splashing yet eyeing them suspiciously. For a kid, he was quite perceptive.

“Here!” Kagome shouted, calling over the explosion of the waterfall. She flung the shampoo at Inuyasha. Knowing his reflexes, and the fact that it was a huge container, she wasn't worried about it splashing in the water.

He caught it and looked at it oddly. “What's this?” he called back. The penetrating roar of their natural shower was hurting his sensitive ears. Kagome mimicked washing her hair and Inuyasha still looked at the shampoo as if it were an alien - which in all fairness, it was.

Unsure, he stepped out of the way of the water - so he was behind the waterfall - and opened the cap, squeezing the shampoo container. The liquid ran into the water. “That's for my hair?” he called back in disbelief. Kagome nodded, still under the spits of water.

Inuyasha trusted Kagome and reluctantly put the shampoo bottle over his head and pressed hard. It was about the right amount when he stopped pressing and replaced the cap, holding the bottle by his side - above the water.

Kagome started laughing, but of course Inuyasha couldn't hear over the waterfall.

“Now what?” he shouted. Kagome imitated rubbing it in and he obeyed. Then he turned around, looking away from her, and didn't realise that she'd crept up behind him and started rubbing it in for him. His soapy hands dropped down.

Inuyasha smiled. He liked feeling her hands rubbing his scalp - she was giving him a massage now. He tilted his head back. A rogue drop of water splashed on his face but he ignored it, just kept his mind on what Kagome was doing.

Shippo was still watching. And he was getting grossed-out. This is weird… he kept thinking. It wasn't that Inuyasha and Kagome were finally together it was that Kagome and Inuyasha had been in the same place for more than five minutes without arguing and Inuyasha was not being `sat'. And they were both naked without hating each other for it.

But I promised them. I can't call Miroku and Sango. Unless…Shippo paddled to the bank and leant over, pulling his discarded clothes closer towards him. He started rummaging through his pockets, until he found what he was looking for. An acorn.

Aiming it right, he threw it in the direction of the others, hoping they'd be awake by now and see his signal or at least be hit on the head by it. For now, he could only wait. Chucking his trousers away, he splashed back into the water. Oh well. I'd better make the most of it. At that he started splashing even more, and dived beneath the water.

Kagome and Inuyasha - pretty sure that Shippo couldn't see them if they went further beyond the waterfall - took a few steps back. The water was getting deeper and deeper, and was now up to their chests.

Inuyasha dunked his head and came back up, where upon Kagome started brushing the shampoo out of his hair with her fingers. When he was clean, he poured some shampoo on her hair and massaged her head, liking the feeling of her hair between his fingers. Then she dipped beneath the water and came back up. She spurted out some water in his face and laughed.

Inuyasha frowned and grabbed her around the waist, dunking her head under the water. As soon as Kagome came back up she did the same to him. They were laughing like children and Shippo was wondering where they'd disappeared to.

“Kagome? Inuyasha?” he called. No one answered. The waterfall was just too loud. They must have ducked out of sight. They're probably further back behind the `fall. Shippo ignored them. The longer he'd be slapping the water, the better.

Kagome stared at the boy before her, his white hair hanging about him like a mop, sticking up all over his head where the numerous dunkings had affected it. He was trying to blow it out of his eyes but it was useless.

Kagome leant forward and pulled the strands back in place. His bangs had disappeared now amongst his mane of hair. He looked… strange. Kagome didn't care. “Inuyasha…”

“Mm?” he replied, smiling. Now that his orange eyes weren't disguised amongst the red of his clothes he looked so pale… the white of his hair didn't help. Kagome, for an instant, thought he was the one who was ill.

She waded forward so they were only inches apart. “Do you… have anything to tell me?” she asked, speaking innocently. Inuyasha could imagine her hands fiddling nervously before he saw them. Not that he was looking beneath the water…

“What do you mean?” he asked, looking about, just as nervous as she was. Kagome shrugged. “I don't know, it's just that… we haven't really talked in a while, I mean this is the first time we've done anything remotely like-” she was just about to refer to the night at her house when Inuyasha cut in.

“I know.” He said, sighing. “And I wanted to, it's just with Sango and Miroku around...”
“Mm,” Kagome nodded, understanding.

Tell her, Inuyasha reasoned. Tell her the truth. He looked up, blushing. “Kagome… I do have something to tell you.”
“You do?” Kagome said, mildly surprised.

Inuyasha nodded. “Yes.” He looked down again, staring past the bottom of the pool. He was looking at something even he couldn't see… their future together. “I… I love you,” he told her, looking up and catching her eye.

Kagome's mouth opened and then she smiled warmly, holding one of his hands underwater. “I know that,” she replied, “And I love you too.”
“But I never said…”
“Not in words,” she winked. They reached for each other and their lips met at the precise moment that their arms starting looping around one another. Kagome waded even further forward until their bodies were touching, sending shivers across their bodies and giving them goose bumps.

Inuyasha's hands travelled up and down Kagome's back, as his tongue rolled in and around her mouth, exploring. Kagome held on just as fiercely, wrapping her legs round his waist so he was, in effect, carrying her.

The kiss got deeper, and they held each other so much that they thought they'd burst… but they weren't ready to have sex like last time - not with Shippo wading in the water a few yards away. But it was too late to at least stop them making out. Neither planned to finish. Inuyasha smiled and leant back, feeling Kagome raining her kisses on his lips and neck. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help letting out a growl of pleasure.

Kagome tweaked his ears, massaging them along with his head while she kissed him. Inuyasha groaned happily, head falling back. And then he got a bit fierce and started kissing Kagome back once more, holding her closer and grabbing hold of her hands, trying to make them one.

I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. He kept thinking, over and over. And the more he thought it, the easier it became to say it. And he did. He kept repeating it against her lips, eyes shut, kissing her everywhere and anywhere.

“I love you, too.” Kagome replied, voice barely above a whisper. Somehow, she loosened one of her hands from his grip and dipped it beneath the water, dropping it down past his bellybutton - down to the spot where she knew he couldn't help but groan even louder… and when she barely touched it and Inuyasha started moaning again, she was stopped.

“What the hell's going on here?”someone screeched from the riverbank, a male voice that sounded all too familiar. Kagome looked up immediately, pulling her hand away. Inuyasha - lids rising and falling as he tried to get a grip on reality - didn't realise what had happened.

“What the hell are you doing?” another person cried - a girl. She, too, sounded familiar. Kagome and Inuyasha had long stopped kissing and Kagome lowered her gaze, embarrassed to the point that she was about to collapse.

Inuyasha, who was now completely himself again, opened his eyes and turned to see Miroku and Sango gaping down at them, completely red with embarrassment and… and anger?

“And to think, Shippo was just over there!” Sango cried, furious, pointing at the spot where Shippo had been swimming. The kitsune in question was now on the other side of the bank, putting his clothes on - oblivious.

Miroku frowned, eyes dark. “I can't believe this…”
“Oh gimme a break!” Inuyasha cried, just as furious as Sango was. “What right have you to say that, monk? Now no one can be as perverted as you?”

Kagome bowed her head. She didn't realise she was crying. They were yelling so much that the sound of the waterfall wasn't even in comparison. She clenched her fists.

“For ages, all you've wanted was for us to be together. And now what, huh? Now you don't want it? Well, tough!” Inuyasha was red with anger now. He was close to stepping out of the water and pouncing on Miroku that he was up against the bank, trying to pull himself up.

Sango's own anger seemed to have evaporated when she realised that Shippo probably didn't see or hear anything in the first place. And that Inuyasha was right. They had wanted he and Kagome to be together - should they really ruin it?

But Miroku had had enough of Inuyasha talking to him like dirt. He was shaking furiously. “No! No, I'm not taking this anymore, Inuyasha! You're a stupid hanyou who thinks he's better than everyone else! You don't even care about Kagome!”

“That's a lie!” Inuyasha shouted, but Miroku was carrying on.
“She's just someone you can string along until Kikyo comes trotting back! All you think about is yourself and I'm sick of it! Just run back to Kikyo and leave Kagome alone!”

“KIKYO'S DEAD!” Inuyasha screamed, tears in his eyes. Kagome, trembling, started sobbing, holding her hands up to her face.

Miroku and Sango practically stumbled backwards. Because Inuyasha and Kagome hadn't told them what had happened that day… they didn't know… it wasn't their fault.

“W-W-What?” Miroku stammered, deflating. Inuyasha didn't hear this, but he saw his face form the question and decided to answer.

“Kikyo's dead! She's dead, you moron! And you're wrong! I love Kagome! I love her, okay?” Inuyasha screeched. Miroku and Sango were afraid. Not because Inuyasha was angry but because he had tears in his eyes. They'd never ever seen him so wound up - never even believed him capable of crying.

Kagome was whimpering. But Inuyasha wasn't paying attention. “Just get lost! We don't need either of you! We're better off on our own!”

Sango opened her mouth, almost pleading. No…he can't mean that, can he? What about Kohaku? Is Inuyasha really going to just ignore the fact that we have a mission? She started trembling, worried about her brother. “You're selfish!” she cried.

Miroku was just as upset. What… what about my hand? He looked at his right palm in fear. Without Inuyasha I don't stand a chance. And Sango won't have my children until Naraku's defeated. Miroku clenched his fists, thinking Inuyasha to be just as cruel as Sango thought he was being. So… there really will be no future for me and Sango.

“That's uncalled for!” Miroku cried.
“So what?” Inuyasha huffed. “You think I care?” he almost looked like he was enjoying himself. He was letting go of the bank, drifting backwards to his original spot.

Kagome shook her head, crying. “Stop it,” she whispered - so quiet that she couldn't even hear it. “Stop it,” she croaked even louder. No one paid any attention. The monk, exterminator and hanyou were still arguing. Kagome clenched her fists and drifted towards the shallower part of the waterfall - knowing that if she stood up she'd at least catch Miroku and Inuyasha's attention.

She stood up. “STOP IT!” Kagome screamed, voice hoarse. Immediately Miroku turned and stared, blinking rapidly. Sango turned, wide eyed and then slammed her eyes shut. And Inuyasha turned, catching hold of what she just said. He just looked disgusted… with himself.

Kagome had their undivided attention. And they were all sorry, she could feel that now. She was about to open her mouth to speak - to make up with them all, but right at that instant, a searing pain shot through Kagome like a lightning bolt. Her stomach burned and pulsed, the pain shooting higher and higher up her body. Her legs could no longer support her. Pins and needles were rushing up both of her calves.

The world was spinning. Her eyes were rolling back into her head. The water around her erupted with blood. Is that myblood? She wondered. Three voices screamed the same thing over and over. “KAGOME!”

But Kagome couldn't hear. She couldn't hear or see anything any more. She felt so hot… and the water didn't do anything to soothe her. One minute the world was a giant blur and the next it was black.

She started tilting backwards. Then she collapsed. Right to the point where the pain couldn't hurt her anymore, and everything was silent. She briefly realised that she might be drowning, but she didn't care. Anything to make the pain go away…

The world was an abyss similar to the world she dived in when falling through the well. So, if that meant she was passing through time… did this mean she was passing through worlds? Life and death?

She hoped so. Maybe the others wouldn't argue if she were gone. Maybe they'd be sorry. And then the pain would be gone. Yes. The pain would be… gone…